I have read that catapult spools were added to some WWII aircraft to make them able to be launched from ships.
What did these spools look like, where were they located on the aircraft and how did they work.
I can find no pictures and very little written on the subject.
I know the Skraider had “hooks” under the wing. I seen to recall seeing some “spools” on the main gear of some aircraft however forget which ones. Not at home to check my reference books. I believe the Bearcat had them in the main gear well.
I can only speak for the Sea Hurricane at this time, but here’s a good showing of where they are.
www.rcgroups.com/…/showthread.php
Scroll down to post #679 and look at the first pic–the underside of the hurri. Notice the spools mounted on either side of the radiator scoop on the belly? Those are the spools you’re looking for. For comparison, here is a shot of a standard hurricane:
upload.wikimedia.org/…/Hurricane_in_planform_arp.jpg
notice the lack of the spools.
www.internetmodeler.com/…/av_seahurricane.htm
That link shows the conversion of a standard Hurricane to a Sea hurricane. As you scroll down, you will see the underside photo with the spools attached. Hope this helps!
